1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, and particularly to an image processing apparatus in which image data to be recorded on a recording material is prepared based on image data recorded on a recording medium on which one image or plural images and collateral information including photographic information of the image or of each of the plural images are recorded.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been known a technique in which a frame image recorded on a photographic film is read photoelectrically with a reading sensor such as a CCD, and image processing, such as enlargement/reduction or various corrections, is carried out with respect to digital image data obtained by the above reading, and further, an image is printed onto a recording material by using laser light modulated based on digital image data subjected to the image processing.
In this technique for reading a frame image in a digital manner with a reading sensor such as a CCD, in order to realize precise reading of the image, the frame image is preliminarily read (so-called pre-scan), and a reading condition (for example, the amount of light irradiated on the frame image, the charge accumulation time of the CCD, and the like) corresponding to the density of the frame image, or the like is determined, and further, the frame image is read again under the determined reading condition (so-called fine scan). Further, prior to execution of the fine scan, or after execution of the fine scan, or during execution of the fine scan, a test operation of an image processing condition for image data of each frame image is carried out.
In the test operation, the image processing condition for each frame image is determined in such a manner that a testing image based on digital image data of each frame image is displayed on a display, and an operator visually confirms the testing image so as to determine whether the density or the color balance of the testing image is proper, and if not proper, the processing condition with respect to each frame image is corrected.
On the other hand, in recent years, there has been used a film (for example, an APS film) in which various information such as information regarding the condition at the time of photographing each frame image (for example, whether or not a flash was used, the photographing date, the shutter speed, the size at the time of photographing, and whether or not a continuous scene was photographed) can be recorded, as magnetic or optical information (for example, a bar code) at a predetermined position on the surface of the film.
However, conventionally, even when, as described above, a test operation is effected for a frame image of a film on which various information such as information regarding the condition at the time of photographing each frame image is recorded, it is not possible to effect the test operation while collating each frame image with the information regarding the condition at the time of photographing for the frame image, and in the test operation, the above-described magnetic or optical information was not effectively utilized.
The present invention has been devised to solve the above-described drawback and an object thereof is to provide an image processing apparatus in which magnetic information or optical information recorded on a recording medium such as a film can be effectively utilized and a test operation of each image can be smoothly executed.